Introducer for epidural needle



p 1969 A. HUDDY 3,469,580 Q INTRODUCER FOR EPIDURAL NEEDLE Filed March 9, 196'? I ROBERT A. HUDDY BY Z3 M a/kmj ATTORNEYS United States Patent 'ice 3,469,580 INTRODUCER FOR EPIDURAL NEEDLE Robert A. Huddy, Arcadia, Calif., assignor to Sierra Engineering Company, Sierra Madre, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 621,854 Int. Cl. A61m /00 US. Cl. 128-215 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally semicircular needle for piercing flesh and guiding a blunt epidural needle into operative position in the epidural space for the purpose of administering anesthetic.

BACKGROUND The surgical technique wherein epidural anesthesia is employed has been known for a considerable period of time. This technique has not however enjoyed widespread use because of the lack of adequate instruments to carry out this procedure. US. Patent No. 2,952,256, patented to T. J. Meader et al. Sept. 13, 1960, and US. Patent No. 2,922,420, patented to Peter Aiming Cheng J an. 26, 1960, disclose certain instruments for use in epidural anesthesia. The devices disclosed by these patentees employ blunt needles. These blunt needles require some means of introducing them into the patients back. This introducing means must of necessity be some sharp instrument which precedes the epidural needle of patentees into the patients back. In the use of two instruments it is necessary that great care be taken to avoid pieces of flesh being torn off and forced into the epidural or subarachnoid spaces. The consequences of dragging such pieces of flesh into either of these spaces may be very serious.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to an introducer needle for use in conjunction with blunt epidural needles whereby the possibility of dragging flesh into the epidural or subarachnoid spaces is substantially eliminated. The introducer needle is an elongated puncturing member with a generally semicircular cross section. The walls of the puncturing member define a channel longitudinally thereof. The outer end of the puncturing member is provided with a cutting edge and in general tapers to a point to facilitate its insertion through flesh. Once this introducer needle has been inserted into the patients back the channel is adapted to receive and guide a blunt epidural needle into the epidural space. This introducer needle is provided with a grip or handle which is positioned on the puncturing member a predetermined distance back from the outer end of the puncturing member. This predetermined distance limits the depth to which the puncturing member may be inserted in a patients back. The grip is located at a convenient angle and provided with a convenient configuration to facilitate the grasping of this element by the technician using it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more detailed understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

3,469,580 Patented Sept. 30, 1969 FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the introducer needle of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plurality of cross sectional views of various embodiments of the puncturing member;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the introducer needle;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the introducer needle, in cross-section; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the introducer needle.

In the embodiment of this invention depicted in the drawings an elongated puncturing member indicated generally at 10 is shown to be a generally semicircular shaft having wall 12 which is arcuate in cross section, the longitudinal edges of which are not sharp. Wall 12 defines by its inner surface a channel 14. The elongated puncturing member 10 is provided with an outer end indicated generally at 16 which is tapered and beveled forwardly and downwardly from the open side of channel 14. Outer end 16 is provided with a cutting edge 18 which extends completely around the beveled portion of outer end 16. At the extreme end of outer end 16 a point 19 is provided. A means for grasping the introducer needle is provided. This means for grasping comprises a grip indicated generally at 20. Grip 20 extends from puncturing member 10 at an included angle with said outer end of more than about A platform 24 is provided which serves as a support to which wall 12 of elongated puncturing member 10 may be secured. A straight shank 26 projects angularly from puncturing member 10. This straight shank portion 26 merges into arcuate shank portion 28 which has a generally S-shaped curve. Several of the arcuate cross sections which elongated puncturing member 10 may assume are illustrated in FIGURE 2. A shallow disc-shaped cross section is illustrated at 30. A U-shaped cross section is illustrated at 32. At 34 a C-shaped cross section is ilustrated. The C-shaped cross section is of such configuration that the blunt epidural needle could not escape from the introducer needle through the open side of the channel. At 36 a rectangular cross section is illustrated and in FIGURE 3 a semicircular cross section is illustrated at 38.

In use the technician administering the epidural anesthetic grasps the introducer needle in one hand generally with his index finger on the front of the grip below the puncturing member in the general area of straight shank portion 26, the middle linger on the front of the grip below the index finger in the area of arcuate shank portion 28, and the thumb on the rear of the grip below the platform 24. The puncturing member is forced into the patients back and when inserted to the desired depth the blunt epidural needle is placed in the channel 14 and inserted into the patients back. When the epidural needle has been inserted to the desired depth of penetration, the introducer needle is withdrawn and the anesthetic procedure is carried out as described in Cheng 2,922,420.

The elongated puncturing member 10 is generally a stainless steel hypodermic tube which has been divided in half along its longitudinal axes. Conveniently the stainless steel hypodermic tube is about thirteen gauge in size.

What has been described are preferred embodiments in which modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claim.

3 4 What is claimed is: References Cited 1. An anesthetic device comprising: h 11 UNITED STATES PATENTS an elongated puncturing mem er aving a genera y semicircular cross section, the wall of said member 2,700,385 1/1955 Omz 128-415 defining a channel extending longitudinally of said 5 2,829,644 4/1958 Anderson 128221 member, the outer end of said member being tapered FOREIGN PATENTS forwardly and provided with a cutting edge; a grip attached to said member at a predetermined dis- 904,237 8/1962 Great Bummtance from said cutting edge, said grip extending OTHER REFERENCES from said member at an included angle with said 10 Outer end f more than about 90 sald channel open- Mitchell, J. V., Britlsh Medlcal Journal, Feb. 23, 1952,

ing away from said grip, said grip comprising a 1 straight shank portion extending outwardly from said L W TR APP Primary Examiner member and an arcuate shank portion extending in a generally S-shaped curve from the lower end of 15 U.S. C1. X.R. said straight shank portion. 128214.4, 348 

